Priti Patel defended plans send unauthorized asylum seekers on a one-way ticket to Rwanda, saying critics of there is a diagram failed offer any alternative solution to the migration crisis.
Offer, announced last week, has been widely condemned as inhuman, illegal, unworkable and prohibitively expensive. Critics included Conservative MPs and their colleagues, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the Archbishop of Canterbury, who said, in his sermon on Easter Sunday that the scheme “does not stand judgment of God”.
Letter in time in joint article with Rwandan Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta, Patel, home secretary, hit back in critics. She said the proposal was an act of “humanitarian nation”, describing the partnership as “groundbreaking” and one It was set “a new international standard”.
She said: “We take bold and innovative steps and it is surprising that those institutions that criticize plans, fail offer your solutions.
home secretary said plans would help put an end to “deadly trade” of people human trafficking and also “deeply unfair” current a position that “wins with funds for payment people traffickers over vulnerable people who can not”.
She said: “We can provide legal, safe, orderly and controlled ways for people improve your life, avoid oppression, persecution or conflict, and enjoy new opportunities.”
However, a letter to prime minister 150 UK organizations supporting refugees, including the Joint Council for welfare of Immigrants, Rainbow Migration and Hope Not Hate said the plan “cause great suffering” and “result in no less, dangerous journeys – leaving more people in risk of traded.”
government It has also criticized for No creating new safe and legal routes to the UK for asylum seekers who previously assumed that such new routes would ensure that people no longer need to risk their lives are trying to get to the UK.
Patel and Biruta also defended Rwanda against critics who dot out his bad human rights record, with groups documenting torture of detainees.
They wrote that the scheme would be “support humane and respectful treatment of refugees, provide human capital opportunities for migrants and host community and offer safe and legal ways for those fleeing persecution and insecurity.”
Energy minister, Greg Hands, repeated Patel’s defense. asked on Sky News if Archbishop of Canterbury was wrong to call plan “wicked”, he said: “I think what others, critics of this plan need doing so show what will be their decision?
He also dismissed suggestions that the scheme would not work, insisting that it would serve as a “significant deterrent” to people attempt to cross the English Channel in small boats.
“We think it will work and we are sure it will workhe told Times Radio. “We need send this message now – that illegal crossing of the English Channel is not necessary lead to a person who is in United Kingdom.
“So there is resettlement in Rwanda – we think it will serve as a significant deterrent for people making this journey and [it] will eventually end up on cost of in people smugglers who … we want put out of business”.
